Things to do in Manchester for the afternoon

I have an afternoon in Manchester planned with 11yr old daughter in tow.

What do people recommend to keep see / do to keep her entertained?

Thanks,

MOSI.

MOSI.

Exactly what I was going to say.

yup, the http://msimanchester.org.uk/ is ace. My 5yr old loved the top floor, couldn’t keep away from the cycling skeleton!

Thanks all. I will run MOSI past her. We went to a (different) Science museum in October, so will see how keen she is to visit another (Id happily go!).

MOSI is great & The Lowry is worth a visit too (I’m aware that Salford is not technically Manchester, but it’s close enough!)

Theres the imax as well. There’s also the http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/ on Oxford road which has mummies and dinosaurs, but it’s more of standard muesum (things in glass cases) compared to the mosi.

If she’s a sensitive wee soul a quick half hour in the Manchester City Art Gallery would be good; the pre-Raphaelite section has some absolutely stunning, world-famous paintings, some of them massive, in glorious colour. Each painting has a little explanation and if you can get one of the staff to show you around, it becomes even more interesting. I sometimes take overseas visitors there and they are always impressed, even the most hardened philistines. There’s one painting there I can’t look at without welling up as they are all allegorical and this one is quite upsetting, involving a father and a son just like my own.

MOSI is so much more than just a science museum. It’s about industry as well, so has loads of steam engines, trains, drains (check out the whole thing on old drains and sewers in the underground manchester ection in the old station house, kids love it) and planes. The Experimentl bit for kids on the 1st floor (no longer on top floor) is brilliant, my kids (boy & girl) still love it and they’ve been going for years. There’ll be loads of holiday stuff on at the moment as well. Yo don’t need to plan anything else as that’ll easily take up a whole afternoon

If she’s a typical girlie she will LOVE Afflek’s: http://www.afflecks.com/

Go to The Teacup cafe nearby for afternoon tea.